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the plastic bag of yellow icing like a pro.
    â€œYes, ma’am.” He glanced at Chase, who was sitting at the large pine kitchen table counting his candy as he dropped it into a big plastic bowl. He was up to thirty-nine and it looked like he was only halfway through his pile.
    â€œHow many people live at your house?” Dorothy was now adding red icing to the two dozen leaves spread out before her.
    â€œOnly myself, ma’am.” What did it matter how many people lived at his place?
    â€œNo kids?” Dorothy glanced up from the cookies.
    â€œNo kids, no wife, not even a steady girlfriend.” He chuckled at the look of disbelief on Dorothy’s face. “But my parents live in Sullivan. Does that count?”
    Dorothy gave Jenni a look he couldn’t decipher. “You like pumpkin bread?”
    â€œYes, ma’am, but you already paid me in coffee and cookies.” He was feeling guilty. The only reason he had supported that post was so that he could sleep tonight.
    â€œNonsense.” Dorothy put down the icing and wrapped one of the loaves in foil. “Since you won’t take money, you have to take food.”
    â€œI do?” He watched as Jenni dumped one of the boys’ bags into a large plastic bowl. She sealed the bowl with a matching lid, slapped a piece of masking tape on it, and wrote Tucker’s name.
    â€œAs my husband always said, ‘Union rules.’” Dorothy wrapped another loaf.
    â€œI never heard of that rule.” He had been a union member out in California for almost twelve years.
    â€œI’ve seen grown men strike over Dorothy’s blueberry pie.” Jenni paid her mother-in-law the compliment as she dumped Corey’s candy in the other bowl. “It’s the only reason we got the countertop and appliances installed. Dorothy kept feeding the crew.”
    â€œYou also went on a three-hour hike with the boys,” Dorothy chuckled. “Tucker was inquisitive that day.”
    â€œIs inquisitive the same as bad?” asked Chase.
    Coop really did try not to laugh. Everyone seemed to have Tucker’s number. Dorothy and Jenni ignored Chase’s question and changed the subject.
    â€œHow many did you count, Chase?” asked Jenni.
    â€œSeventy-two.” Chase looked extremely proud of that fact, either because he could count that high, or because they had hit that many houses.
    â€œThat will last you till Christmas.” Jenni picked up Tucker’s bowl and compared it to Chase’s. “Do I want to know how many candy wrappers are all over the backseat of my car? Your brother’s stash seems to be short quite a few pieces.”
    â€œHe ate some,” Chase said.
    Dorothy handed Coop two loaves of wrapped bread and a small container filled with cookies. “One is pumpkin, the other is cranberry nut. Since I didn’t know what kind of cookies you liked, I put a couple of each kind in there.”
    â€œThanks, but you really didn’t have to.” Dorothy didn’t look like a grandmother to three very active boys. Her reddish hair had some gray in it and there might be a wrinkle or two by her eyes, but that was about it. No bifocals, no age-spotted hands, and no big flowery aprons like his own grandmother used to wear. Jeans, a pink long-sleeve T-shirt with a moose on it, and sneakers were this granny’s baking outfit. The only flaw he could see was a smudge or two of flour on her nose.
    The front door opened and the sound of a lighthearted argument could be heard.
    â€œCome on, Felicity, you can’t leave me like this,” proclaimed a male’s voice.
    â€œSure, I can. Why don’t you go ask Brittany to change you into a prince.” Felicity Wright entered the kitchen like a queen. To be more accurate, like a princess. She stopped and smiled. “Hi, who are you?”
    Coop could see why Dorothy Wright was still a very attractive woman just by looking at her